Hayward's Reach

NaShoStoMo #19 - Dark Star Rising

              He fell from the sky, aflame. A black energy coruscating and trailing from his unconscious form, limply, silently, helplessly. His explosive impact, drove shards of concrete into the air and an exploding crater released a tower of flaming gas as his powers ignited an underground fuel main. People retreated into whatever cover they could find as automobiles fell from the explosion and the searing heat melted plastic, rubber and other soft metals nearby. It was hell on Earth.

              What followed him moved slowly at first. It was in no hurry. It savored the world into which it found itself thrust. The first two days here, there was no resistance and the creature were soft, edible, pliant with mild and crunchy centers. Then a few new ones came and they were armed with stinging tools. Primitive and only less effective than nothing. They and their tools were tasty with a slight iron flavoring. Some articles of their clothing were less than tasty, tough with a fibrous consistency. After eating six or eight of them, it decided to peel the rest of the blue guardians and eat only the flesh and bones.

              Then They came. The special ones. Most looked like the main food of this world,small, delicate, crunchy and like the blue guardians, they were armed with tools. Their tools were more effective than the blue guardians. No matter. There is nothing of this world that can harm me. Nothing at all. Even the fire-star is too weak. I shall enjoy this one, and I shall not share it. Not a morsel will the Others get.

              "The Kid is down."

              "He'll get up. He's just like his old man was. Stubborn."

              "Any ideas of what we're dealing with?"

              "With the rash of magical threats we have been seeing lately, I think someone has just upped the ante."

"Oswald, I think we are going to have to hold the line until the big guns get here."

              Thornton Oswald the Third, stood looking over the city and realized, the Shrike was right. With The Kid down, Gunner on sabbatical, Kali was coming from Metro City, and Shango out doing whatever magical Protectors of the Crossroads do in their spare time, they would have to hold this thing until reinforcements arrived. But it took The Kid. After Kali and Shango, The Kid was as tough as they come. He lacked his father's fighting experience but his durability under fire was unquestioned.

              "Shrike, I will need a minute, can you keep him entertained while I summon?"

              "Sure thing, he'll never see me coming."

              The Shrike, Walter Scott, depressed the studs in his gloves and his suit's jetpack came online. Extending his arms, large metallic wings with serrated edges extended from his arms increasing his wing span to twenty feet. "Don't be late." With a boom, the Shrike took to the air and dived to attack the creature who stood easily twenty feet tall.

              Thornton proceeded to draw a circle of containment in the rooftop gravel. As his cane drew through the rocks, they lit with an eldritch glow. Hearing the boom of the rockets as they roared away, Thornton focused his mind on breaching the boundaries between worlds. To a particular world. A world of feral beasts used by dark magicians and ancient gods to the Fan-run-dhar-durak - Land of forgotten beasts. Once the realm became clear to him, he sought for a particular beast. A creature whose unmistakable might would be tested tonight. He sought the beast called Grimmamon, mightiest of the Beast Lords.

              The Shrike swooped fast and his onboard computer, linked directly into his brain had already plotted the course he needed to strike five times in two passes. His wings comprised of Promethium, a rare alien metal, allowed him to transfer and magnify his kinetic energy, so the longer he flew, the stronger and more dangerous the metal became.